TROGLODYTID.E — THE WRENS. IfJ 



ill the marshes of C'oniiec ticut Iliver, near TTarttV.rd ; and in Illinois Mr. Ken- 

 nicott found it anion.i,' the Ioii^l,' grasses bordering on the prairie .sloughs. 



In Ma.s.saehusetts I have occasionally met with tlieir nests, hut only late 

 in July when the rank grass of the low meadows lias heen cnit. Tiiese 

 were probahly their .second hrood. The nest being built chj.se to the ground, 

 and made of the living gr«is.ses externally, the> are not distinguishable from 

 tlie unoccuj.ied tussocks that surround them. 



Cistothorus palustris, Baird. 



LOKO-BILLED MABSH WHEN. 



Var. palustiis. 



Certhia palnstris, Wilson, Am. <)m. II 1810, 58, pi. xii, tig. 4 (Penua). Troglodi/tct, jxt- 

 liustris, Hon. Ohs. Wils. 1824, uo. ♦!(). — Am. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 500, pi. c. — 1b. 

 Birds Am. II, 1841, 1:35, pi. cvxiii. — 1{kinhaui)T, IbLs, 1861, 5 ((iodtluuib, Green- 

 land). Tfinjofhortus jhiliistns, Nnr. Man. I, 18:32, 4:39. Vistothorus {Tclmt(tod)jtcs) 

 pnhistrift, Hahu), Birds N. Am. 1858, :3t)4 ; Kev. 147. — Sci.atku, Catal. IStJl, 22. 

 Thnjothoiuit animUiOHi ks, V'ikii.Lot, Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, 1819, 58 (not Trmj. 

 arundinncruti, VlKil.Lor). TJiriioflmrns arundiiKictiis, Bon. C'onsp. 1850, 220. Td- 

 nmtodytea arundiaactiis, Cab. Mas. Ili-in. 1850; 78. 



Hab. Eastern Tnitod States. iVoni the Missouri River; Greenland? Rkinharut ; 

 Mexico, and Guatemala? Cor(U)va. Sci.atku. 



Var. paludicola. 



Cistothorn.'i pt'Iustris, var. jKihidivoln, Baii;i>, Rev. Am. B. 1864, 148. Troffhd>ft>\s jhiIus- 

 tris, Newb. p. K. Hep. VI, iv, 1857, 80 (ra<iti<t region). CisMhorus jMflufitn.s, Cooi'KU 

 & Sn-KLF.Y, P. K. Rep. X, ii, 1859, 190 (W. T.) — Coofkh, Orn. L'al. I. 1870, 75. 

 Ccrfhia pilK.sfi'is, Loun, Pr. R. Art. Inst. IV, 117. 



Sp. Char. Bill about as? long as head. Tail and wing nearly e([\ial. Tpper parts of a 

 dull reddish-brown, except on tiie erown, interscapular region, outer surface of tertials, 

 and tail-feathers, which are almost black: the first Avitii a median pat«h like the groun<i- 

 color ; the second with short streaks of wiiite, extending round on the sides of the neck : 

 the third intlented with brown ; the fourth barred with whitish, decreasing in amount 

 from the outer feather, which is marked fioni the base to th<^ tifth. where it is contined to 

 the tips; the two middle feathers above like the back, an<l barred throughout with dusky. 

 Beneath rather pure white, the sides an<l under tail-coverts of a lighter shad<^ of brown than 

 the back ; a white streak over th<_' eye. Length. "\.")0 ; wing, 2.08; tail, 2.00. (1,4.'>4.) 



Hab. Paeitic Coast and Miildle Province of rniteil States. 



In comparing a series of Marsh Wrens of eastern North America with 

 vvcstern, we find that they dilf«*r very appreciably in certain characteristics, 

 which may be expressed l)y the following diagnoses: — 



Bill lengthened, e«pu\l to tarsus. Tad-coverts above and below either perfectly 

 plain, or with very obsolete l)ands. leduced to obscure spots beiu-ath. Bands 

 on tail broken ; .scarcely appreciable on the middle feathers . . yar. pn h> st r i s . 



Bill shorter than tarsus. Tail-eov«'rts distinctly banded all across. Bands on tail 



quite distinct ; appreciable on the central leathers . , . , \i\r. pal u di cola , 



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